A Brand-New Family
by SaxyGirl
Summary: A retelling of the Dragonborn's time with the Dark Brotherhood as seen by Cicero and a fellow assassin (OC). The prequel to "A Shadow of a Thief".
1. Chapter 1

_AN: Okay so, I feel kind of like a moron because I thought I had loaded this already, like, ages ago. Whoops! Anyway, this is the eh… prequel to the prequel for "The Dragonborn and the Companion" and "A Shadow of a Thief". As always, Skyrim and the NPCs belong to Bethesda. I'm only claiming Elise and Kirsikka._

It was a bright sunny day in the southern portion of The Pale. Birds were chirping as they darted around the few trees scattered across the fields while deer and elk grazed leisurely on the grasses. Far in the distance the sound of mammoths could be heard lumbering across the plains. The guards patrolling the roads did so with a little bounce in their step, enjoying the warmth of the sun.

Unfortunately for poor Cicero, all the surrounding beauty of the day was lost upon him as he danced and jumped helplessly around his wagon. "Oh Mother, do not worry! Somebody will come along soon to help, Cicero is sure of it. And that farmer!" Cicero frowned and made a face, tugging on his jester's hat. "That farmer will pay for not helping dear, sweet Mother! He and his pretty wife both!" He cackled maniacally, rubbing his hands together. "Yes, yes. Cicero will introduce them to his blade. Stabby, stabby, stab!"

He laughed again and turned away from the wagon, eyes darting around and spotting nothing but empty landscape. He sighed reached out to pat Mother's box absently. "There, there Mother. It will be fine." He was staring dejectedly across the countryside when he caught movement from the side of his eye. He turned and clapped his hands in glee when he spotted somebody coming towards him.

As the figure got closer he could pick out details; a Bosmer, female by the look of her long dark hair. She was wearing simple hide armor and had a standard longbow slung on her back and an iron short sword on her hip. She slowed as she neared him and he grinned widely, pulling his hat off and bowing low before her. "My dear lady!" he cooed, "Cicero begs of you to assist him!" He straightened and pulled his cap back on, grinning all the while.

She stopped completely and eyed him and the wagon behind him, obviously taking in the broken wheel. "How can I assist you?" she asked warily.

"Poor Cicero is on a long journey from Cyrodiil to Skyrim to move sweet Mother to a new home and the wagon broke! Silly, stupid wagon!" He pointed at the wheel and then continued. "Cicero talked to the farmer, asked him to please help Cicero so Mother can be on her way to her new home, but Cicero was spurned and turned away. The farmer does not want to help Cicero or his dear sweet Mother." He sighed sadly and hopped from foot to foot anxiously. The woman rubbed the back of her neck and glanced up at the farm house. "He has the tools to fix the wagon," Cicero added. "If the lovely Miss would go speak with him and change his mind then Cicero will reward you with shiny, shiny gold!" He pulled out a coin pouch and waved it at her.

The sight of the money had the desired effect and she nodded. "Okay, you stay here and I will go talk to him." She turned and strode up the hill and Cicero danced around to the side of the wagon, watching avidly.

He saw her near the farmer and the two of them conversing, the Bosmer woman waving her arms dramatically as she talked. Finally, they shook hands and she turned and came back down the hill. Cicero turned to face her fully, hands twisting frantically in front of him. "Well?" he asked when she was within hearing distance.

"He will help you," she answered.

"Yay!" Cicero cheered and then grabbed her hands, spinning her in a circle. He dropped them just as quickly and pulled out the coin pouch, shoving it in her hands. "Here, for you, for you! Shiny gold, all for you!"

She gaped, looking down at the stuffed coin pouch in her hands. "Oh, this is much too much. I could not take this," she said.

"You must! Cicero insists!" He reached out to stroke the box that held Mother. "You are helping Mother! All who help Mother are rewarded." He nodded wisely and grabbed her hands again, pushing the pouch tighter into her grip. He tilted his head and blinked at her. "What is your name, helper of Mother and Cicero?" he asked, releasing her hands.

"Elise," she responded, carefully sliding the coin pouch into one of her bags.

"Elise the Savior of Cicero!" he declared, dancing a small jig. "Where are you traveling to, Elise, Savior of Cicero?"

She grinned and responded, "Windhelm. Where are you off to, Cicero, Keeper of Mother?" Cicero froze and his eyes widened as he looked at her. She had called him Keeper. Only Brothers and Sisters knew of the Keeper. She did not wear the armor, she did not have look. How did she know he was Keeper? The grin was falling from her lips now as Cicero stared at her silently, one hand fingering the hilt of his dagger lightly. "Did I say something wrong?" she asked, stepping back a few paces.

"You called Cicero 'Keeper'. Why?" he asked, blinking at her slowly.

She shrugged and looked down at the ground, rubbing her leather boot into the dirt absently. "You called me 'Savior of Cicero' and I thought, since you gave me a name I could give you one. 'Keeper of Mother' just seemed to fit," she muttered.

Cicero blinked again and then a smile split across his face. "Cicero understands!" he declared and she breathed a sigh of relief. "Elise is smart and knows that Cicero loves Mother."

"You certainly do seem to," she answered. "So where are you going?"

"Cicero is taking Mother to a new home, a new family. Not near Windhelm, no. Much too cold for Mother," he answered. Elise's face fell and Cicero felt bad for making her sad.

"I was hoping maybe we could travel together," she said. "You are the first person who has really been nice to me since I came back to Skyrim, I mean besides Jarl Balgruuf and this one Stormcloak soldier. That is why I am going to Windhelm, because it is either that or High Hrothgar and I am not sure how I feel about _that_. Anyway," she inhaled deeply and smiled lightly at him. "I should get going. I have enough money to buy passage to Windhelm now instead of walking so I thank you for that. I hope you and Mother have a safe journey Cicero."

She reached out and grasped his hand to shake it and he pulled her into a hug. "Cicero believes we will see each other again Elise, Savior of Cicero." He released her and smiled again.

"Thank you, Cicero, Keeper of Mother. I hope that is the case." She glanced up behind him and he turned to see the farmer coming down with his tools. He looked back to find Elise walking away, towards Whiterun and the carriage ride.

Cicero again reached out to stroke Mother's box. "You will bring her back to Cicero, please Mother? Cicero likes that one." The box remained silent as always, but Cicero swore he felt Mother smiling as he went to aid the farmer in repairing the wagon.

After only an hour of work Cicero was back on the road towards he and Mother's new home. He giggled to himself, humming a little ditty as he steered the wagon, carefully watching for bumps and divots that would upset Mother's coffin or possibly cause another wheel to be damaged. Part of him was happy that Elise, Savior of Cicero, had managed to convince the farmer to help, but another part wished that the farmer had said no so that his blade could feel the warm rush of blood again.

"No, no, no. Cicero knows a fixed wheel is better for Mother," he muttered, glancing around absently at the scenery. No matter how good it would have felt to kill that farmer and his wife, he knew that without them he would not be on the way to take Mother to her new home and family. "New family, new home and, does Cicero dare to hope? Perhaps a new Listener? Oh, he does, he does!"

His thoughts again flicked to Elise. Something about her had called to Cicero; perhaps she enjoyed the dance of a blade and the smell of blood as much as he did. Cicero could picture her wrapped in the Shroud of the Dark Brotherhood, executing contracts for their Mother. The idea brought another chuckle to his lips. It started out quietly, but within a matter of moments his loud guffaws filled the air, startling birds from nearby trees as he passed.

Cicero bit his lip to stop the laughter. "Must be alert, could be bandits, could be bears, either way, best bewares!" He giggled again. "Mother, you will make sure she comes to visit, yes?" he asked. "She would be such a good Sister, Cicero knows." He nodded solemnly and after his short plea to Mother he turned his focus completely to the task at hand. After all it would not be long until they reached the new Sanctuary.

 _lllll_

The upper floor of Candlehearth Hall quickly filled as travelers staying at the inn and the local patrons looking for a drink and hot meal filtered in when the sun set. Nobody paid any mind to the small Imperial woman seated back in the corner. A flagon of untouched mead sat in front of her and in her hand was a small knife that she was using to clean her fingernails out as she eavesdropped on those conversations around her.

"Rolff was raising hell again with the grey-skins. I do not know how somebody like that could be brothers with somebody like Galmar. I mean, I know Galmar feels the same way as far as kicking the elves out, but at least he is not so public about it. If Rolff is not careful, he is going to get hurt."

"He already did. A Wood Elf blew into town earlier looking like a leaf could knock her over, but she gave Rolff quite a beating after she chewed him up one side and down the other for mistreating folks. I bet it will take a few days before he shows his face around here again."

The voices faded as they moved away to a table and Kirsikka wrinkled her nose. Small subjects for small minds; that was all she had been hearing in the two days she had been at the inn. She had heard promising rumors that had sent her interest to Windhelm, but so far nothing had come to fruition.

"Somebody really needs to do something about that Aretino boy," a gruff voice said. "Idesa said that Grimvar was poking around the house today and there was a bad odor about it. I am not sure why the guards do not just haul him back off to the Orphanage."

"Because the guards are all busy fighting in the Jarl's war. We have very few left here, it is no wonder nobody has caught that damn Butcher yet. I am surprised things have not gotten worse than they are. As for the Aretino boy, leave it Torsten. The boy has had a rough childhood. I almost would not blame him if he _did_ do the Black Sacrament."

Kirsikka perked up, ears tuned to the conversation. She frowned when the matter turned to farming and slumped back in her chair. At least she knew she was in the right town. Sighing she pushed herself away from the table and slipped unnoticed down the stairs. There was a small commotion near the front and she made her way towards the bar.

"I do not care if you have coin that can cast spells, I do not have a room!" Elda, the innkeeper, declared.

Standing across from her looking dejected and road weary was a Bosmer woman. Kirsikka frowned; she knew that there was at least one room open and for some reason Elda was not letting this woman have it. She stepped forward, causing both of them to look at her. "She can stay with me," Kirsikka volunteered. Elda glared and the Bosmer's mouth dropped open in shock. Kirsikka grabbed her hand and turned to pull her towards the room. "Have two meals sent round also, please," she barked over her shoulder at Elda. The Nord woman glowered but nodded.

Kirsikka closed the door behind them as the other woman hesitantly walked into the room. She turned and rubbed her arm warily. "Thank you," she said.

Kirsikka grinned and dropped down onto one of the beds, tugging off her gauntlets as she did. "You are welcome. You look like you need the rest and Elda was just being a bitch." The Bosmer began removing her armor as well, carefully folding it atop the dresser in the room. "You are the one who took down Rolff," Kirsikka stated.

The woman spun, eyes wide. "I do not know what you are talking about," she hissed out, voice laced with panic.

Kirsikka smiled. "I am not going to hold it against you like the rest of them would. Personally, I wish I had been there to help." She rose and held her hand out. "I am Kirsikka."

"Elise," she responded, taking Kirsikka's hand briefly. "And thank you again. I just cannot stand small minded people."

Kirsikka finished pulling off her armor, leaving her in a pair of short linen pants and a small tunic. She shoved her armor under her bed with her foot and made sure her mace was accessible before she settled back onto the bed. "So, what brings you to Windhelm?" she asked.

Elise finished folding the last of her armor and sat on the bed opposite her after she untucked her tunic from her breeches. "Believe it or not I am thinking about joining the Stormcloaks."

Kirsikka laughed. "You are not serious?" At Elise's nod, she laughed harder. "Why on Tamriel would you?"

Elise shrugged one shoulder. "First person I met when I came back to Skyrim was a Stormcloak. He helped me out of a rough patch and told me I should think about joining, so here I am." She leaned back on the bed, eyes staring up at the ceiling. "Not like I have a lot of options right now."

"I am heading out tomorrow to look into a rumor I heard. You could come with me," Kirsikka offered.

Elise turned her head to look at her. "What rumor?"

Kirsikka swallowed and took a moment before answering. She knew how most people felt about the Dark Brotherhood and this woman did not strike her as a killer. She was, however, a woman with no other options. "I heard that there was a boy here trying to contact the Dark Brotherhood. I thought I would check into it."

Elise snickered. "Oh, you heard that too? I did not think it was real. I mean what child would do that?" she responded.

"A desperate one," Kirsikka stated. "Whether he tried to contact them or not does not matter, either way there is a child out there who needs help. I intend to explore it." Kirsikka bit back the triumphant grin when she saw the look on Elise's face change.

"Good point. Okay, I will go with you," she answered.

Kirsikka smirked, that was almost too easy. "Great," she said.


	2. Chapter 2

_AN: I wrote this so long ago it's almost like reading a new story! But only a little._

Cicero fingered his dagger as he slipped through the abandoned Sanctuary. It was dirty and empty, cobwebs filling most of the corners. The Sanctuary Guardians were still around but hesitant to approach anybody, even the Keeper. He would have to spend some time luring them out. Perhaps if he sang them some songs? He was also dismayed to find that a troll had ripped a hole in the side of one of the tunnels. Thankfully Cicero could easily avoid that area.

Having finished his inspection he headed back out into the cold wind of the northern Pale and set about moving Mother into the Sanctuary. Once the task was finished he pulled out a bedroll and hunkered down next to the box that housed Mother's coffin, curled up and drifted into a fitful sleep.

He awoke abruptly with the lingering feeling of being watched that he usually had when he slept near Mother. "Oh Mother, what do you think of our new home? Dirty? Maybe. At least it is not empty," he added, mind going to the Guardians. He could see them hovering, barely visible around the edges of the room. "Would Elise, Savior of Cicero like it here?" he wondered aloud.

The Sanctuary was dark and dirty, good for a Fool alone with his Mother, but certainly not fit for anybody else, especially a Wood Elf that was probably used to warmer temperatures and open spaces. His mind drifted back to the dream he had been having when he woke. He often dreamed of murder and mayhem, though he was the one doing the murdering usually, not watching it.

Elise had been there along with a woman he did not recognize. "Not important, did not kill," he muttered, immediately dismissing the bystander. They were in a small room and an older woman slept in the bed. Elise crept close to the bed and then stood silently.

Cicero had been enraptured by her. Her face was twisted into a fearsome grin and she held in her hand a wickedly sharp sword. Her eyes rolled over the sleeping figure and her lips pulled back into a snarl before she brought the weapon down swiftly and accurately, sliding between the ribs and right into the heart of the sleeping woman. She woke with a start, a gasp barely gurgling out of her lips before she fell, dead.

Blood had poured from the wound, saturating the blade. Elise dipped her hand into it and then she lifted it and turned her arm, seeming to admire the way the deep red liquid trailed across her skin. Cicero had watched, as mesmerized as her, as she pressed her hand against the wall above the bed, leaving the signature mark of the Brotherhood.

"What was that for?" The other woman had whispered, breaking the deadly spell that had fallen over Elise. Elise had blinked rapidly and looked at her hand and the body on the bed before the color drained from her face. The woman crept closer and yanked on Elise's arm. "What is with the handprint?" she asked, pointing at the wall.

Elise looked over at it and frowned. "I am not sure," she replied. "It just felt right."

They had faded before his eyes and Cicero had woken then. He mused over his dream as he leaned against Mother's coffin. "Did Mother send Cicero a vision?" he wondered aloud. "Did Cicero get to see the magnificent Elise murdering for Mother and the Dread Father?" He tapped out a little ditty on the floor. "Perhaps Mother is telling Cicero we do not belong in the abandoned Sanctuary?"

The coffin remained silent and he leaned back against it heavily. "Does Mother wish for Cicero to take her to the Falkreath Sanctuary? To new Brothers and Sisters?" he asked. Still nothing came and he sighed despondently, dropping against the box.

"Oh Mother, give me a sign. Anything, something to let poor Cicero know you are still there. Tell poor, dear Cicero what to do!" he pleaded, pressing his forehead to the cool wood that surrounded the Night Mother's eternal home.

After several minutes of nothing happening he grunted and rolled to the floor, laying there for an unknown amount of time before he stood. Perhaps a walk would clear his head and help him focus. He looked at the flickering shadows of the Guardians. "You will watch over Mother," he ordered, "Until her Keeper can return." With that he slipped from the Sanctuary and headed off across the frozen ground, not paying attention to where his feet pulled him.

Cicero looked up finally when he heard a vicious shriek. He was in an unknown part of the country and had no idea how close he might be to the Sanctuary where he had left Mother. In front of him was a seemingly empty shack. The sound of another bellow proved that it was not empty and he dropped into a crouch, creeping up to peak in a window.

On one side of the room were three people. Each on their knees with their hands bound behind their backs and hoods over their heads. Across from them, tied to a chair, was a vaguely familiar Imperial woman with long blond hair and an evil glint in her blue eyes.

Standing before her was a Nord woman and Cicero gasped when he saw the familiar red and black armor. "A Sister? Out here?" he murmured, gripping the windowsill and leaning forward to get a closer look. His nose was nearly plastered to the glass and he saw another body lying on the floor and anger tore at his stomach when he recognized Elise.

"I do not know who you think you are," the bound Imperial was snarling, eyes like fire on the Nord woman, "but you will let me go _right this instant_!"

The Nord smirked and leaned back against what appeared to be an empty bookcase. "I will do no such thing," she replied. "You and your friend here," she paused and nudged Elise with the toe of her boot and Cicero growled. How _dare_ she touch Elise, Savior of Cicero? "Owe me an explanation."

"And why exactly is that?" the Imperial retorted.

"That kill was meant for the Dark Brotherhood and you stole it. More adequately, she stole it since she is the one who did the killing, but since you two are obviously together we brought you both," the Nord answered.

Cicero's eyes widened. Elise, Savior of Cicero had stolen a kill from the Brotherhood. That meant that she was not a member of the Family yet. Maybe this new Sister, this one who had kidnapped Elise, was going to offer her a place in the Brotherhood. That would be wonderful!

Cicero watched avidly as Elise moaned and shifted on the ground. The Nord took a moment to hop up onto the bookcase and settled against the wall, eyes watching avidly as Elise awoke.

 _lllll_

Kirsikka bit her tongue as Elise groaned and shifted and the Nord woman, who was apparently a representative of the Brotherhood, hopped up onto the nearby bookshelf. Elise pushed herself up and looked around the room, blinking in confusion at the three hostages and then darting to her feet at the sight of Kirsikka.

"Sleep well?" the Nord's husky voice drew the Bosmer's attention.

"Where am I? Why is Kirsikka tied up? Who are you?" Elise asked.

The Nord settled back against the wall. "I am Astrid," she said. "As for where you are and why your friend is tied up, well. Does it matter? You are warm, dry, and still very much alive. That is quite a bit more than can be said for old Grelod, hmm?" Kirsikka saw Elise's face go ashen and she took a step back. "Do not look so surprised. Half of Skyrim knows. Old hag gets butchered in her own orphanage? Things like that tend to get around. And leaving the mark of the Brotherhood? Whether you did that on purpose or not, well. It was quite a statement."

Elise took a few steps back until she bumped into a table there and held on tightly. Astrid chuckled and leaned forward slightly. "Oh, do not misunderstand. I am not criticizing. It was a good kill. The old crone had it coming and you saved a group of urchins to boot. The problem though, is that the Aretino boy was looking for the Dark Brotherhood. For me and my associates. Grelod the Kind was, by rights, a Dark Brotherhood contract. A kill that you, and your friend here, stole."

"You can have the heirloom he gave us," Elise bit out. "If that is what you want."

Astrid laughed. "Oh no, while the money is nice, it is the kill that must be repaid." She motioned with her hand and Elise glanced again at the hostages. "I believe you have noticed my guests," she said. "I collected them from, well, that is not really important. The here and now that is what matters. You see, there is a contract out on one of them, and that person cannot leave this room alive. But, which one? Go on, see if you can figure it out. Make your choice. Make your kill. I just want to observe and admire."

Elise glanced at them, then at Astrid, then at Kirsikka. "Can my associate here help me at least?" she asked.

Astrid shrugged. "Why not?" she said. Elise hurried over and untied Kirsikka.

"What do you think?" she asked quietly, low enough for Astrid to not hear.

Kirsikka shrugged as she rubbed her wrists where the ropes had been tied. "It is a test. There are probably contracts on all three, or none. The test is, will you kill because you are told to."

Elise's eyes flickered and she glanced over at them. "They could be innocent?" she whispered.

Kirsikka snorted. "Nobody is innocent," she retorted. "Grelod certainly was not."

Elise frowned and looked back at Kirsikka. "That was different," she stated. "That woman, what she did to those children." The look in her eyes drifted and a low growl curled her throat.

If Kirsikka were honest Elise had scared her a little that night at the orphanage. Something had come over the other woman and for a time it was like somebody else took over her body. "How do you know these people are any different?" she asked. Elise looked uncomfortable and Kirsikka sighed. "Look, just pick one. I will take care of the other two."

Elise looked at the hostages, then at Astrid who was still lounging atop the bookcase, and then back at Kirsikka. "Okay," she said. She spun away and headed towards the hostages while Kirsikka pulled out her mace, swinging it a few times and getting ready for the satisfying sound of crunching bones.

Elise walked lightly, ears perked and nose twitching as she neared them. She walked up to the first one and while Kirsikka watched her nostril's flared. " _Khajiit_ ," Elise snarled and she pulled her short sword from her hip as she walked. The hostage in question began talking but Elise ignored it, instead grabbing the hood that was over the Khajiit's head and tugging it back to expose his neck. She brought her sword up and slid it without hesitation into the throat of the creature, a satisfied growl rising from her chest as he dropped, lifeless to the ground.

Kirsikka barely kept her mouth from dropping open as Elise reached down and ran her fingers through the pooling blood and then dragged them against the fur of the dead creature. She glanced over at Kirsikka and the Imperial would swear that whatever was looking at her was not her new friend.

"Interesting," Astrid's voice broke the spell and Elise shook herself, eyes widening as she took in the corpse and her own bloodied fingers. She stood and glanced at Kirsikka then motioned.

The blonde woman did not hesitate, stepping forward confidently and pulling her mace up. Two satisfying crunches later and there were three corpses lying on the ground.

"Very nice," Astrid said, pulling all the attention back to her. "I would like to officially extend to you both an invitation to join my Family, the Dark Brotherhood. In the southwest reaches of Skyrim, in the Pine Forest, you will find the entrance to our Sanctuary. It is just beneath the road, hidden from view. When questioned by the Black Door, answer the correct passphrase: 'Silence, my brother.' Then you are in and your new life begins. I will see you at home." She slid off the bookcase and tossed a key at Kirsikka, who barely caught it. "Goodbye, Ladies," she added and then disappeared out of the building.

"Uh, Elise," Kirsikka said hesitantly, stepping forward to where the other woman stood, eyes still staring at her bloodied hands. "Are you okay? You um, you did not seem like yourself for a little while there."

Her eyes snapped up and she smiled weakly. "Fine, just fine," she replied. "Come on, we need to figure out where we are and then head down towards Falkreath."

Kirsikka frowned but did not push the issue, instead following Elise outside. The Wood Elf stood staring into the distance, her hand shielding her eyes from the weak sunlight. "Over there, that is Solitude. Falkreath is going to be quite a way south. We can head that way now or go to the city and spend the night, then buy transport in the morning."

"I do not know about you," Kirsikka replied, "but a long nap in a comfortable bed sounds pretty nice right about now."

"Yes," Elise agreed. "Yes, it does."


	3. Chapter 3

Cicero looked around the collective group one final time, barely biting back a sigh. After what he had witnessed with Elise and Astrid he had made his way back to the abandoned sanctuary and loaded up Mother to bring her here to this sanctuary. No, sanctuary wasn't the right word; this was a _hole_ in the ground. To say he had been welcomed would be a gross misstatement. The mage, he had been welcoming enough, but the others seemed as if they were doing him a great favor allowing him entrance.

He was Keeper and he had _Mother_ with him. While he knew his role was not as important as Listener, it was still more important that this scruffy crew and certainly Mother deserved better treatment than this. He also had not seen Elise, Savior of Cicero anywhere. He had been certain she would take Astrid's offer with the way she had dealt with that Khajiit. He was disappointed to say the least.

His brow furrowed and he turned back to Mother's coffin, eyes searching the cavern for a suitable resting place for Mother. All he could focus on was how _dreary_ this place was. Dreary, dark, dank, damp, drippy, decaying, dim, drab, dull, dirty. And that Astrid. Deceitful, despicable, duplicitous. Oh he would have to keep an eye on her.

"Hello." A voice from right behind him sent twitches up his spine, but he was careful to keep from reacting physically. It had been years since anybody had been able to get that close to him without him noticing. He frowned. It must be this place. It had him so _distracted_. He shook the feeling off and turned with a grin. There stood the blonde woman he had seen with Elise before. "And who are you?" she questioned, a smile cracking across her face.

"Cicero, Keeper of the Night Mother," he declared, sweeping his hat off and dipping into a low bow. "And who might you be?"

"Kirsikka. I do not have a fancy title like 'Keeper' though. I am just a regular assassin," she replied with a shrug. "Is that the Night Mother in there?" she asked, eying the large box.

Cicero's hand reached out of its own accord and began stroking the box. "It is."

Kirsikka's eyes widened and she took half a step forward. "May I see her?" she questioned.

His eyes widened and he found himself bodily between the woman and Mother. "No, no. Not now. Not until Mother has been oiled." And perhaps not even then. He glowered at her but she did not shrink back, instead raised an eyebrow in curiosity.

"Touchy, touchy," she murmured. "Like a child not used to sharing."

Cicero sneered at her. This woman was too perceptive for his liking. "If you have nothing useful to say then you can leave now," he hissed. He glared at her, willing her to move.

She remained stoic, tapping her chin in thought. "You should really move Mother up there." She indicated a direction with the wave of her hand. "Near the visage of the Dread Father. She would like that, right?"

He threw a glance over his shoulder and saw the large stained glass window she referred to. He had to admit, the other sanctuary did not have that. He begrudgingly turned back to her. "Yes, Mother _would_ like that," he admitted.

"Well, let me know if you need any help with Mother or," her voice trailed off and her eyes rolled over him and she licked her lips. "Or _other_ things."

He raised an eyebrow in amusement at her obvious flirting. It had been quite some time since Cicero had shared intimacy with another, male or female. As tempting as the offer was he would ignore it. There were more important things; things like finding the Listener, tending to Mother, attempting to rebuild what was left of the Brotherhood. He held back another shudder as he realized just how difficult that last item would be with Astrid in the way. The Kirsikka woman eyed him one more time and then shrugged turning away.

"Wait," he called before he could stop his defiant mouth. She turned back with a questioning glance and he internally groaned. Externally he tapped his fingers together in a fretful manner and hopped back and forth. "Cicero is looking for somebody. Another assassin," he started. Her brow furrowed and she turned fully towards him.

"I am not sure I can help you with that," she admitted. "I am fairly new to the Brotherhood."

"Cicero believes she would be new too," he assured her with a nod. There was a faint scuff and he sensed the defiler's dog nearby eavesdropping. "A Bosmer?" he added.

Kirsikka's eyes narrowed and darted momentarily to the dog before turning back to Cicero. "I joined with a Bosmer. How do _you_ know her?" she pressed.

Cicero responded with a trill of high pitched giggles. "Cicero did not say he _knew_ her, just was asking. Thank you, thank you! I must make Mother comfortable now and begin preparing the oils." He turned and faced the box, fussing with the lid to loosen it so that he could remove it and maneuver Mother's coffin from within.

Cicero sensed the blonde woman moving farther into the Sanctuary while the dog went to the blacksmith area and began working on some project or other, the banging of his hammer on the anvil sending spikes of pain through Cicero's ears to stab at his brain. He straightened and shook it off, instead focusing on the task of moving Mother up to her new home.

He was just finishing adjusting the coffin before the Dread Father's likeness when he heard the voices headed his way. He quickly identified the defiler's voice. "He arrived earlier today. Keeper of the Night Mother. It is a great," there was a pause and then the word sounded forced between her lips, " _honor_ to have him and the Night Mother here."

The second voice, soft but still strong enough to fill the hallway and Night Mother's new chamber, responded, "Keeper you say? Of Mother?" Cicero spun towards the door, excitement crawling across his skin as he recognized Elise's voice. Sure enough she and Astrid appeared in the door moments later. He leapt across the room and threw his arms around her, squeezing her tight enough to lift her from the ground before he turned her in a circle.

"Elise, Savior of Cicero!" he cried happily. "You are here!"

"Cicero!" she giggled, returning the embrace. "I am here! And so are you!"

He released her from the hug and danced backward, a wide grin cutting across his face. "I am, I am! Cicero, Keeper of the Night Mother at your service!" He swept his hat off and bowed so low he nearly kissed the floor. "I am so happy you are here!"

Elise opened her mouth to respond but Astrid cleared her throat and cut her off. "So you two know each other?" she questioned, her tone sharp and disproving.

"Yes! Elise, Elise, Savior of Cicero! She convinced the farmer to fix my wheel!" he sang, dancing around the room.

Elise flushed and shrugged one shoulder. "I was near Whiterun and Cicero's wagon had a broken wheel and the nearby farmer would not help him. I got him to change his mind."

"I see," Astrid murmured. She pursed her lips as she thought and Cicero decided she looked as if she had been sucking a lemon. Sour, sardonic, scathing. "Well," she said finally, "After you two have caught up come see me, I have a job for you." Elise nodded and Astrid strode from the room.

Elise slipped onto one of the benches and faced Cicero. Her long dark hair was bound back in a tail and the Brotherhood armor fit her like a glove. Her bow was slung against her back and she had a dagger resting at her hip. "You should have told me," she said with a grin. "Just who your Mother is."

"Ah, ah, but Elise was not a Sister yet," he responded, wagging his finger at her. Her grin dropped and she regarded him coolly.

"And how do you know that?" she questioned.

He grinned and winked. "Mother may not talk to Cicero, no that is reserved for the Listener only, but she does communicate with Cicero." He skipped towards her and leaned close. "She showed me what happened in the orphanage. And to that Khajiit."

Elise's skin paled and she looked at him with wide eyes. "What did you see, exactly?" she questioned.

"I saw excellent kills. It makes Cicero yearn for the days before he was Keeper. When he did his own sneaking and spying and stab, stab, stabbing!" He sighed and then glanced at Mother. "Not that Cicero minds being Keeper, oh no, it is an _honor_. Cicero just wishes that he could find the Listener, so he would know if Mother is happy with him or not."

Elise grinned and reached out, her fingers brushing his cheek lightly. It was Cicero's turn to turn wide eyes to her. "I am sure Mother is very happy with you Cicero. You obviously care about her quite a lot."

"Thank you, Elise, Savior of Cicero," he whispered back.

"Elise!" The sharp voice startled both of them and Elise jumped, yanking her hands from his skin as if she had been burned. "You are back! Oh, and you have met our newest addition."

Kirsikka came skipping in and winked at Cicero. He grinned back and danced towards the coffin where Mother was, keeping an ear on their conversation.

 _lllll_

Kirsikka glanced between the Keeper who was now busying himself with Mother's coffin and Elise, who was flushed a rather adorable shade of red and staring at her feet. "It is so exciting to have Mother here now, right Elise?" She slid onto the bench next to her friend.

"It is. And to have the Keeper here as well," Elise agreed.

Kirsikka grinned and leaned close to Elise, whispering just loud enough to be overheard. "Mhmm, and he can practice his _keeping_ on me anytime," she purred. Elise gasped and Kirsikka giggled when she heard a small jar clatter to the ground behind them. "But that can be later. Right now, you should regale me with tales of your latest escapades!" she demanded.

Elise frowned and pulled a small dagger from her waist, fidgeting with it. "You do not want to hear about my escapades," she responded. "They are nothing special."

Kirsikka scoffed and nudged her with her elbow. "There was _killing_ involved. Of course, I want to hear them!"

"Was there stabbing?" Cicero's voice startled them both and Elise glanced back at him and then looked back at the dagger in her hands.

"I do not _think_ there was stabbing," she answered. "I do not," she stopped and her eyes darted up to Kirsikka's and Kirsikka was surprised to see the fear in them. "I do not remember," she whispered.

"You did complete the contract, right?" Kirsikka asked, frowning.

"Yes," Elise answered. "Yes, I remember the dead bodies, but I do not remember killing them." Something nagged at the back of Kirsikka's mind and she remembered the odd change that came over Elise in the orphanage and again at the abandoned shack. She recalled thinking for a few minutes that it was like something else had taken over Elise's body.

Elise had also been known to have nightmares and talk in her sleep in a language Kirsikka did not recognize. She glanced at Elise, hoping that the woman was not possessed by a daedra or something. She shook her head and wrapped her arm around Elise's shoulder and squeezed. "I am sure it is nothing," she declared, lying through her teeth. "Now come on, let's go see if that Redguard whipped up anything good to eat."

"His name is Nazir," Elise muttered as Kirsikka pulled her up and dragged her from the room.

"I will call him whatever he wants if he keeps feeding me!" Kirsikka declared with a giggle, earning an eye roll and a reluctant grin from Elise. "And while we eat, I can regale you with my stories!" She did not have to look behind her to know that Cicero was staring after them curiously.


	4. Chapter 4

Cicero frowned to himself as he absently worked the nightshade flowers into a paste. His mind was darting around, thoughts whirling as he contemplated the events of that morning. Mother had finally spoken! And to Elise, Savior of Cicero!

Cicero had been so angry when he found her standing in Mother's coffin, only then she had said the words. The words he had waited years to hear. For a few moments, the jester's laughter had subsided and Cicero had felt nothing but pure joy.

The Pretender had sent Listener Elise off on some other contracts instead of sending her to follow Mother's orders. Artificial, annoying, arrogant Astrid and her witless, weak, wretched ways! He ground the nightshade harder as he thought about Astrid and her snide comments.

"Is everything okay, Brother?" The small voice startled him and Cicero blinked, realizing that he had ground the nightshade into almost nothing. He glanced over and saw the Un-child watching him intently.

"Everything is fine Sister, Cicero is just frustrated," he answered. Her eyes swept over everything spread out before him and she grinned.

"Do you need any assistance?" she asked.

"No thank you, Sister," he responded, giving her a small smile and then turning back to the nightshade. He could hear her shifting around behind him and the sound of bottles and vials being moved. He ignored the sounds and carefully inspected the nightshade flower in his hands before dropping it into the bowl.

"It is so nice to have Mother here now," Babette commented as she worked. "I find her presence very soothing." Cicero hummed in agreement, only half listening to the girl. "And now that we have a Listener as well! What is next? A return to the Tenants? The addition of Speakers?" She made a soft happy sound. "There haven't been any good Speakers since Lachance! That would be exciting."

Cicero stared at her, mouth gaping open and mortar and pestle forgotten in his hands. "You know of the Speakers?" he questioned. "You know the Tenants?"

She giggled. "Of course, I am over three hundred." She shook her head with a sigh. "A shame what happened to Lachance. It is good that he still serves, even as a specter." She paused for a moment and appeared to be deep in thought and then grinned at him. "My dear Keeper," she said, "I know all of the Tenants, about the Speakers, and even the Silencers."

His eyes widened almost comically. "How?" he questioned, voice disbelieving.

"Keeper Cicero, I _was_ one," she answered. He moved like lightening, the mortar and pestle rocking on the table where he had dropped them and his dagger hissing as he pulled it from the sheathe and held it at her throat. She stared up at him, unmoving, and waited.

"If you were a Silencer, you would take issue with the way the Brotherhood is being run here," he hissed.

Babette snorted. "And what makes you think I do not?" she shot back, just as quiet. "This is the only Sanctuary left and I cannot rise up on my own! Not without a Listener!" Cicero frowned but heard the logic of her words. He sheathed his dagger and walked back to the alchemy table.

"And now that there is a Listener?" he prompted her.

"Now we wait until the time is right," she answered and then turned and pulled a bowl off the shelf. "Have you considered including frost salts in the mixture?" she questioned. "They may help with the preservation of Mother."

Cicero blinked in confusion at her abrupt change in topics. "The salves and oils are recipes passed from Keeper to Keeper for ages," he answered. "I do not know if it would be wise to change them."

"Oh, come now, Cicero," Astrid's voice rang out and Cicero realized why the Un-child had changed the subject. "Babette is an accomplished alchemist. If anybody can make the potions better, it would be her." She gave him a tight smile.

Cicero swept his Jester's hat off his head and dropped into a deep bow, adding a little jig along with it. "Mistress Babette," he said, "If you are so accomplished it would be my honor to work with you. We must be careful though, we cannot do anything that might harm Mother."

"Of course, Keeper," she replied. "We'll test them on other corpses before we take them anywhere near Mother."

Astrid seemed satisfied and strode quickly from the room with some comment about finding her dog husband. Once she was well out of range Babette grinned. "Now we can plot together and she will not be suspicious," she whispered.

Cicero grinned widely. "Clever, clever," he murmured. "Cicero is impressed and Mother will surely be pleased."

"I hope so," the girl responded.

 _lllll_

Kirsikka kept her hand tight around the handle of her mace as she followed behind Elise. The two were on their way back to the sanctuary from Morthal and Kirsikka was more than a little edgy. After Elise had been revealed as the Listener, Astrid had sent them off on some easy missions while she researched the contract that Mother had given Elise.

They had taken care of the vampire and his mate rather easily; a few well-placed bashes from her mace put them out of business. Then they had gone off to eliminate an Orc bard that somebody had issue with. Luckily, they had made it to the inn in the middle of the night and no customers were around because Elise had taken one look at the Orc and had launched herself at him, tackling him to the ground. She had planted herself on his chest, teeth bared as she growled those strange words at him with her nails tearing into the flesh at his throat, clawing and ripping. The innkeeper had screamed and ran for the door but Kirsikka could eliminate her before turning back to the carnage that was the small Wood Elf assaulting the large Orc.

Finally, Elise had stopped, her hands and armor covered in blood as the Orc lay there, his head only still attached by the spinal cord. She had squeezed her eyes shut and inhaled deeply before blinking them open and looking back at her hands. At that point she had sucked in a sharp gust of air and Kirsikka threw a hand over her mouth before she could scream. They fled the inn, taking off at a quick pace through the woods and they had not stopped since.

"Elise," Kirsikka said as the other woman slowed. "Are you okay?"

"Fine. Why?" she snapped back.

Kirsikka puffed out a breath of air. "How about because you just murdered an Orc with your bare hands? I mean it was impressive, but a little out of character for you. I know something is going on with you," she answered.

"You do not know me at all," Elise snarled. Before Kirsikka could reply there was a loud roar and she and Elise both looked up. "By Akatosh, not _again_!" Elise breathed as she spotted the dragon. Kirsikka's mouth dropped open as the large creature landed in a clearing not far from the road and then turned and looked at them.

" _Dovahkiin_!" it called, voice spewing from its mouth with smoke and licks of flame. " _Dovahkiin_ why do you _ru hond,_ run away?"

"Shut up!" Elise yelled. "Leave me alone!"

The dragon snorted and Kirsikka swore it sounded like laughter. " _Dovahkiin_ is not the right name for you," it said. "It should be _Dov Niraat Kiin_. Dragon prey, not dragon hunter!"

Kirsikka had her mace in her hand and was dancing around on the road, looking between the dragon and Elise. Elise was on her knees, her hands pressed against her ears. "Just leave me alone!" she shrieked. "Always following me, in my head, talking and taunting! I do not want this! _GO AWAY!_ "

The dragon huffed again. "Alduin is afraid of this _sahlag joor_? Not even worth my _tiid_." With a final disgusted look the dragon pushed off and disappeared over the horizon.

Kirsikka slowly put her mace away and then walked over to Elise. "Soooooooooooo," she drawled, rubbing the ground with the toe of one boot. "Would you like to talk about it?"

Elise inhaled sharply and looked up at her through watery eyes. "No," she stated.

Kirsikka rocked onto her heels and then up on her toes. "Would this have anything to do with why you seem to become a different person when you murder?"

Elise pushed herself off the ground and stormed in the direction of the Sanctuary. "I said I do not want to talk about it!" she hissed.

Kirsikka sped up and grabbed the Elf's arm, spinning her to a stop. "Elise. As your friend, please listen to me. I am worried about you! Every time we go on a kill, you seem to slip into the trance or something. You said yourself that the last murders you went on alone you did not remember anything about the kills. You only know they were done because you saw the dead bodies. And now a _dragon_ drops out of the sky and taunts you and all you can do is scream and cry and hide and I am supposed to what? Just ignore it?"

Elise stared at the ground and shrugged half-heartedly. "Yeah," she responded.

"Not going to happen," Kirsikka declared. "Now come on, we will make camp and you will tell me what in all Oblivion is going on here." She led the woman over to a small glen in the trees and hastily started a fire, keeping one eye on Elise the whole time to make sure she did not bolt.

Once the fire was roaring she sat down and eyed her friend. "Well?" she prompted.

Elise sighed and seemed to deflate. "I am the 'Dragonborn' or something," she stated.

Kirsikka raised an eyebrow. "Yeah? And what exactly is a Dragonborn?"

"Some stupid Nord legend about a person who can absorb the souls of dragons and then shout like them," she said.

"Uh huh," Kirsikka replied. "For something that you are supposed to be, you do not know a whole lot about it," she stated.

Elise sighed and shrugged her shoulders. "I was just trying to go home!" she cried out suddenly. "I just wanted to go back to Ivarstead and, and try to pick up where I left off when I ran away. I did not _want_ to be captured by Imperials! I did not _want_ that stupid dragon to attack Helgen! I did not _want_ to go to the Jarl and tell him about the damned dragon! I definitely did not want to go fight another dragon at the watch tower!" She was yelling, her voice carrying through the trees and startling the nearby creatures. "But no, I had to be a good girl and go with them and kill the damn thing and then I apparently absorbed its soul and now it will not stop _tormenting me!_ "

Kirsikka could feel the beginnings of a headache settling in and she rubbed the bridge of her nose. "Okay, what?"

Her voice appeared to startle Elise and the woman's eyes snapped over to her. "Long story short," she said. "I got roped into helping kill a dragon outside Whiterun. When the dragon died, all these lights and stuff surrounded me and the dragon's body disappeared. The guards said I was 'Dragonborn' and then when we were going back to the city there was this loud noise and the Jarl said it was these old guys, the Greybeards, summoning me to High Hrothgar for teaching."

"So did you go?" Kirsikka questioned.

Elise gave her a look as if she had just grown another head. "Of course not! I do not know what this Dragonborn thing is, but I do not want it. The only problem is that now there is a dragon living inside my head and every once in a while, I think he takes over. I keep having these dreams of massacring villages and cities. It is worse when I see certain races, like Khajiit or Argonians. I feel this rage inside me and sometimes I black out."

Kirsikka chewed on her lip. "Is that what happens when we go on contracts?" she inquired. Elise nodded, head hanging. "So what you are saying is that the dragon is the killer, not you?" Kirsikka clarified.

Elise shrugged helplessly. "It certainly seems that way," she answered.

"Do you think the _dragon_ is the Listener?" Kirsikka asked.

Elise blinked rapidly and her brow furrowed as she thought. "No. No, I am always me when Mother talks," she said. "I am just worried that the dragon will take over at the wrong time and hurt somebody that I do not want to hurt."

Kirsikka frowned. "Maybe you should go to those greymen on the mountain. Maybe they can help you control it."

Elise scoffed. "There has not been a Dragonborn for hundreds of years. They cannot help me."

"I guess you just have to learn to control it on your own then," Kirsikka said.

Elise sighed. "I suppose. It is not going to be easy though."

"Ah, but you have me and Mother to help you!" Kirsikka said with a grin. Elise glanced at her and rolled her eyes. "Come on, we shall sleep and then go home and see if Astrid has finally come to her senses about Mother's contract."

Elise sighed and settled down next to the fire, quickly falling asleep. Kirsikka spent most of the night on watch as she contemplated what to do about the Listener. A meeting with the Keeper was in order.


	5. Chapter 5

Cicero knew something was off the second he stepped into his room. The faint scent of spices lingered in the air and internally he frowned. Externally he skipped through the room, pretending he didn't notice anything different. He pinpointed the source of the smell as coming from his bed and he slipped a hand into his motley, fingering one of his small throwing daggers. He paused for a moment and then his arm moved, the dagger flying from his fingers and driving into the headboard.

Something on the bed squeaked and then an amused voice broke the quiet. "When you act like that Keeper it makes me think you do not want me around," she purred. Cicero's eyes narrowed and he reached over and picked up a candle, lighting it. The dim glow illuminated that Imperial blonde woman who was reclined, rather seductively he admitted, across his bed.

"And what makes you think Cicero wants you around?" he shot back. She was beautiful yes, beautiful, busty, brilliant, but also batty, bratty and bullish. She did at least honor Mother appropriately, coming to tell Her about every kill and leaving regular offerings. Respectful and resourceful.

"Oh, you do, I can tell," she replied, grinning cheekily. He snorted and used the candle to light several more before he placed it back on the table and then crossed his arms, frowning at her. Everything she did had another meaning and another reason. Cicero did not trust her for a moment. "Come now Keeper, surely you know what to do with a beautiful woman in your bed," she added.

He tamped down the urge to take her up on her offer. "Cicero would like to sleep now. Remove yourself from the room or else," he sang, fingers dancing along the hilt of his dagger. She rose fluidly up from the bed and stalked towards him, stopping only when she was a breath away. She leaned forward, her lips near his ear and he forced himself to stand his ground as the scent of spices overpowered him.

"I need to talk to you," she murmured softly. "It is about Elise." Elise? Was something wrong with the Listener? He opened his mouth to speak and she placed a finger to his lips and pulled back enough to grin saucily. She winked and then her lips were back at his ear. "She is fine, for now. I needed a way to talk to you that would not raise Astrid's suspicions. What better way than to throw myself at you?" she finished, cunning, conniving, crafty, carnal. He swallowed. "You know her dog has been following you around. He is probably outside right now listening. We give him a show to listen to and eventually he will leave and then we can talk freely." She moved back from him, licking her lips.

Her words played through his mind as he eyed her. He was well aware that the mutt had been tailing him, eavesdropping on everything he did with his super hearing. If the Imperial had news regarding the Listener, he needed to hear it. His eyes narrowed at the woman and he tilted his head with a smirk. "You do make a compelling argument," he responded, voice dropping slightly out of the higher pitched Jester's voice he used so much. Her eyes widened and he could have sworn she tremored slightly. "Perhaps Cicero does want you around," he added with a smirk.

"I knew you would realize it eventually," she retorted and reached out, fingers making swift work of his Jester's motley. Cicero raised an eyebrow at her daring, daunting, delightful demeanor before reaching for the clasps on her armor to return the favor.

Several hours later they collapsed against the bed and he absently reached for one of the furs to pull over them. "Think he is gone?" the blonde murmured against his shoulder as she moved against him and wrapped one hand around his arm.

Cicero snorted and moved, nudging her off of him. Sex was one thing, cuddling was another entirely. "Yes. I heard him leave about an hour ago." He rose quickly and rapidly pulled his clothes back on before turning to face her. He enjoyed the silence for a few minutes, relishing the sanity of the moment as the Jester's voice lay silent in the wake of their passion. Slowly the cackling insanity began creeping up on him again and he turned to look at her, his fingers sliding along the blade of his dagger. "Time to ta-alk," he cooed.

She rolled her eyes and pushed herself up, stretching languidly. "So much for post-coital bliss," she muttered. He frowned and made an impatient motion with his hand. "Yeah, yeah," she sighed. "Okay Keeper, are you familiar with something called the Dragonborn?" she questioned.

Cicero frowned, head tilted to the side as he considered her. "Are you trying to distract Cicero?" he accused her as she arched her back again and winked at him. "It will not work. And what is this Dragonborn thing?" he inquired.

"It is some Nord thing," she explained as she slowly pulled her clothes and armor back on. "Something that has to do with absorbing the souls of dragons after killing them."

His hand again dropped to his dagger and he clutched at it. If she had played him to just get in his bed, he would make her regret it that sleazy, slutty, slothful woman. "And what does that have to do with the Listener," he questioned.

"It seems that _she_ is this Dragonborn thing," she answered and his mental tirade against her stopped abruptly. "She said that she helped kill a dragon outside Whiterun and absorbed its soul and now it is living inside her or something."

Cicero felt his insides run cold at the implications of what she had said. Perhaps Elise was not the Listener and this dragon was? Could that be possible? "What does the crazy woman mean, the dragon lives in the Listener?" he asked. "Dragons do not live inside people."

She shrugged and sat on the edge of his bed. "Elise said that after she helped kill the dragon there were all these lights that surrounded her and the dragon and then the body disappeared. After that the guards all told her she was this thing called Dragonborn and some grey guys called her for training. She refused the training and said she has been having nightmares and sometimes she blacks out. Usually on her contracts. I think the dragon is killing for her."

"And when she communes with Mother?" he questioned, fingers tight against the hilt of his dagger, seeking comfort of some kind from the ebony blade. The Jester inside his head cackled fanatically and he forced it back to focus on the blonde woman.

"She is herself. Elise _is_ the Listener. I just do not know if she is a killer," she answered. "She says she does not wish to go speak with these teachers, only I am not sure she can handle this on her own. She certainly should not be on contracts alone. Not right now."

Cicero found himself nodding in agreement as he thought. Perhaps he would light special incense and pray to Mother. He knew she would not speak to him, but she could speak to Elise, perhaps talk some sense into the Listener. "You will accompany the Listener on her contracts," he said, eyes snapping to her face as the panic began to subside.

"And what will you do?" she inquired.

"Cicero shall seek guidance from Mother of course," he responded with a small grin. "Now please leave. Cicero is tired and would like to sleep."

She again rolled her eyes and slinked over to the door. She glanced at him as she reached for the handle. "Well, you just let me know if you decide you want me to visit again," she added with a smirk before disappearing out the doors.

 _lllll_

Kirsikka absently spun the arrow between her fingers, grinning over at Elise. "I cannot believe you do not want this," she commented, holding it out towards her friend and waving it enticingly.

Elise batted at it with a snort. "You are so bizarre." She adjusted her bow and her back and continued walking, her steps looking lighter than they had for ages.

"Come on!" Kirsikka taunted her. "Your first clean kill. You should want a trophy," she said. "Not only that, but it was the son of Commander Maro and you did it in the middle of Markarth! This, this is a trophy you should be proud of!" She again waved around the arrow.

They had been tasked with taking out the Commander's son and planting a letter on him. Elise had perched herself on a high building inside Markarth and taken him out with a clean shot to the head, right in the middle of the marketplace. Kirsikka had been idling there perusing the stands and responded as a concerned citizen, easily slipping the letter onto his person. Luckily for them all the guards wrote it off as an attack from the Forsworn and they had walked out of the city with no issues.

Not only that but it seemed to Kirsikka that maybe Elise was getting control of this dragon thing. She had completed her last three kills without 'losing herself' as she described it. They had all been at a distance, which had Kirsikka wondering if that was the answer.

"What about the bride?" Elise asked, interrupting Kirsikka's thoughts. "I was myself when I killed her," she pointed out.

"True. But you dropped a statue on her. Not the same," Kirsikka retorted. "Nope. This one was pretty special. I am sure Mother will be pleased." She again waved the arrow around and Elise sighed and snatched it, tucking away in her pouch.

A small grin flitted across her lips and she eyed Kirsikka. "Do you really think so?" she asked. Kirsikka nodded and pushed the Black Door open, stopping abruptly when they stepped inside.

"What is it?" Elise asked, nudging her out of the way. She inhaled and then covered her mouth. "What is that smell?"

Gabriella appeared from down the stairs and breathed a sigh of relief. The Dunmer looked harried and her robes were dirty and torn. "Praise Sithis, there you two are! Did you complete the contract?" she asked, hurrying over to them.

"Yes, Gaius Maro is quite dead and all of Markarth suspects him of plotting against the Emperor and they suspect the Forsworn of killing him. What happened here?" Elise demanded, reaching a hand out towards the other woman.

Gabriella rapidly explained Cicero's attack and Kirsikka and Elise shared a look. "Astrid wants to see you right away," she finished. The two women trailed her down into the large open room where Babette was attending to Veezara and Astrid stood off to the side, an unsettled look on her face.

One whirlwind conversation and quick search of Cicero's room later and she and Elise were staring at a large, scary looking demon horse. "Shadowmere?" Elise asked, reaching out her hand. The horse whinnied and nuzzled her palm and then stepped forward, nuzzling her neck. She giggled and stroked his nose. "You can take us to Dawnstar?" she questioned. His eyes flicked over towards Kirsikka and she returned the look. "She's a friend," Elise assured the horse. His ears flattened against his head momentarily and then he nodded.

Elise pulled herself up onto his back and then offered her hand to Kirsikka, helping her climb up. "Let's go," she said, urging the horse into a gallop. Kirsikka bit back the scream that wanted to escape as the horse practically flew across the ground, her arms wrapping tightly around Elise. She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to imagine she was anywhere else.

"Do you believe that story Astrid told us?" she asked, leaning up to speak directly in Elise's ear to be heard over the wind.

"No," Elise answered, turning her head and yelling back at her. "She wants me to kill Cicero."

"I know," Kirsikka said. "Are you going to?"

Kirsikka could not see her full face, but she could recognize a disgusted look when she saw one. "Of course not," she snapped. "She wants me to kill you also," she added.

"What?" Kirsikka shrieked and the Bosmer flinched away from the loud noise right in her ear.

"She knows you two are having sex. She thinks that you will be unable to separate the needs of the Brotherhood over your own 'base instincts'. Her words," Elise explained. Kirsikka sat behind the Listener fuming at that bitch Astrid. "I am not going to kill you," Elise continued. "But I will have to make it look like I did. And we will have to let Arnbjorn see your body and Cicero's. I am just not sure how we are going to fool a werewolf."

Kirsikka shrugged, no ideas coming to her mind either. Hopefully Cicero would be able to come up with something. Her heart tugged a little when she thought of the crazy Keeper. He was a lunatic, and incredibly deadly, both of which called to a part of her. She certainly hoped he was still alive, she would like a few dozen or hundred more performances like their first one together.

It seemed like very little time had gone by when Shadowmere came to an abrupt stop outside Dawnstar. The Black Door could be seen in the distance and Arnbjorn lay on the ground, clutching a wound in his side. Elise hopped down and walked over to him, kneeling before him. She shot a look at Kirsikka and jerked her head. "Go check on the door while I see to our Brother."

Kirsikka nodded, watching them both suspiciously as they whispered. Finally Arnbjorn sighed. "Fine Tidbit, but I am staying here to make sure you get the job done. I will live that long."

"You are not that injured you big baby," she responded, tugging a health potion out and throwing it at him with a small smile. Kirsikka blinked at the familiarity between the two of them and absently wondered if Elise was playing her and Cicero. She had no idea when or how the Bosmer would have bonded with the wolf.

Elise came up to her and gave her a look. "Are you ready?" Kirsikka nodded and Elise turned, leading the way inside.

Cicero's laughter echoed through the ancient building and both women froze.

Elise glanced around, her bow pulled out and ready. "Cicero, we have no intention of killing you and you know it!" she yelled out. Kirsikka gave the bow in her hands a pointed look and she shrugged. "He might not be the only thing in here," she said.

"How does Cicero know that the Listener and the crazy Imperial are not just trying to fool him?" He cackled. "Fool the fool? Nobody can fool the fool!"

Elise sighed and relaxed her hold on the bow. "Cicero, I am the Listener, I am the Savior of Cicero and, Sithis willing, I am the Savior of the Dark Brotherhood. I know Astrid set you up. I do not want to kill you. I swear to you. Please Cicero."

There was a loud noise like a piece of wood was being moved and then the door across from them cracked open. "Does the Listener swear it on her very life?" Cicero asked through the crack.

"She does," Elise vowed. The door flew open and Cicero came skipping out, wrapping Elise in a hug. Kirsikka stomped down the envy that always flared to life when she saw how comfortable the Keeper was with the Listener.

"I knew the Listener would never trust that cow Astrid!" he cheered, holding her tightly. He released her quickly and turned to grab Kirsikka. "And you kept the Listener safe! Mother is sure to be thrilled!"

Elise patted his arm. "Okay, bonding time can happen later. We have to make it look like I killed you and Kirsikka. Arnbjorn is outside and he knows what my orders are from Astrid. He wants to see the dead bodies before we leave. Any ideas?"

There was a loud clanging noise from the back of the Sanctuary and the women jumped. A maniacal grin crossed Cicero's lips. "Cicero most certainly has an idea," he answered.


	6. Chapter 6

Cicero paced around the large dusty room, ignoring Kirsikka's wrinkled nose and the specters that hovered at the edges of the room. Elise had managed to convince Arnbjorn that Kirsikka had been eaten by the resident troll, her bloodied boot the only evidence that remained and Cicero had played the injured fool, laying on the ground on the verge of death. It probably helped that he was nearly on the verge of death already.

Arnbjorn had accepted that the Keeper was about to die and the two had gone on their way. Kirsikka had come from her hiding place and poured healing potions down his throat and then they were left waiting for Elise to return. Cicero knew that Astrid was up to something and now the Listener was alone, at the mercy of the Defiler and under the influence of a dragon soul.

"Would you calm down," Kirsikka snapped suddenly. "You are making me dizzy!"

Cicero frowned at her. "The Listener said she would send updates! She said she would be back soon! It has been too long," he hissed. Not to mention the fact that Mother was untended. Alone, abandoned, avoided.

"The woman is right, Keeper," the ethereal form of Lucien Lachance materialized near him. "The Listener is well." Elise had instructed the former Speaker to hang around the old sanctuary and keep an eye on Kirsikka and him. Cicero was not sure if it was a compliment that she cared, or insult that she did not trust them.

"And how does a ghost know that?" Cicero questioned. He did not have faith in any of the other Brothers and Sisters save for Babette and she was only partially aware of what was going on with the Listener. His mind conjured one scenario after another, each more deadly and gruesome than the last and all ending with the Listener dying, Mother quiet again, and him alone.

"I am bound to her on this realm," Lachance drawled, distracting Cicero from a particularly terrible scenario that involved disembowelment. "If she were to perish, I would cease to exist here and be returned to the Night Mother's embrace."

Cicero snorted and resumed his pacing; ignoring the annoyed looks from the other two. The ghost had a point; he was bound by Mother to the Listener. He would stay until she dismissed him or died. Which, he reluctantly admitted to himself, was probably why she had left the specter behind.

Even still he could not stop himself from worrying. He had just about talked himself into going to look for Elise when the sound of the Black Door slamming open broke through the silence.

"Cicero, Kirsikka! Come help us!" Babette's voice echoed through the sanctuary and the two assassins headed up the stairs, Lachance drifting along behind. The Un-child stood in the doorway and behind her was Nazir who was holding up the Listener.

"Listener!" he gasped. "What did you do to her?" he snapped, pointing accusing fingers at the two assassins.

"Saved her ass," Nazir offered. "You gonna help us or what?" Kirsikka stepped forward and scooped up the Bosmer, stumbling a couple of steps as she did. At Cicero's look she stuck her tongue out at him. "She is heavier than she appears," she retorted.

Cicero ignored her comment and pointed at Nazir. "Explain to Cicero what happened!" he barked, hopping over to Kirsikka and reaching for Elise's throat to search for a pulse. He breathed a sigh of relief when he found one and then glared at the two newcomers.

"Keeper we must bring Mother inside first," Babette said, motioning to a large cart that stood outside. He could see the coffin along with a few other items. "Then all will be explained."

"Mother!" Cicero danced outside, ignoring the horrible cold as he stroked the coffin. "Oh Mother you have been returned to your Keeper. Cicero is so sorry he has been away. I promise it will not happen again Mother!" Nazir joined him and together the two of them managed to get the coffin into the new Sanctuary. They left it lying just inside the door and then hurried down to what used to be the bedrooms.

Kirsikka and Babette had hastily cleaned one up and Elise was now lying on the straw mattress, breathing shallow but even. "Well?" Cicero demanded.

"We were on our way here and a dragon attacked us," Nazir stated, dropping into a chair with a sigh. "Between the three of us and Shadowmere we managed to kill it. The body disintegrated in a swirl of lights that enveloped the Listener. Then she passed out and we brought her here."

"The horse?" Kirsikka asked, one eyebrow raised.

Nazir laughed. "He has a mean kick when anybody messes with the Listener," he said.

"Why only the three of you?" she asked next. "What happened to everybody else? I thought for certain that Festus would…" She trailed off at the look of sadness on Babette's face and anger on Nazir's. "What happened?"

"Astrid sold us out to Commander Maro," Babette sighed. "Well, she sold out the Listener and actually thought that Maro would hold to his side of the bargain. By the time Elise had managed to escape they had already set upon the sanctuary. We are the only ones who survived." She stroked a lock of hair away from Elise's face. "She ended Astrid, but she was not herself when she did."

Kirsikka glanced at Cicero and he frowned. "What does the Un-child mean?" he asked.

Babette looked at him and rolled her eyes. "Do not pretend you do not know," she said. "Or you," she added, looking at Kirsikka. "We figured out that is why you have been with her on all her contracts. She started talking in some weird language and then sliced Astrid open along her torso."

"That settles it," Kirsikka sighed. "She needs to go see those grey-haired men. They need to teach her how to control herself."

"And what of Motierre?" Nazir said. "The Night Mother spoke to Elise while we were escaping the old Sanctuary. She said that he awaits us in Whiterun and that the contract is still on."

"You go meet Motierre at Whiterun about the contract. Then you and Babette can finish it. I'm going to make sure she gets to that mountain. It was bad enough with one dragon soul wandering around inside her head, two could be the end of her if she cannot control it," Kirsikka ordered.

"Who put you in charge?" Nazir snapped.

Kirsikka's eyebrows shot up. "Do you have a better idea?" she questioned. He opened his mouth to retort but thought better of it and snapped it shut with a shake of his head.

"Then it is decided. You two head off as soon as you can, that will keep her from trying to do it herself when she wakes up," Kirsikka said. Nazir and Babette nodded their agreement and slipped out of the room.

"And what does Cicero do?" he asked, grinning wildly at the bossy Imperial.

"Take care of Mother of course," she replied with a smirk.

 _lllll_

Kirsikka sighed in relief as she slipped into a chair at a table in the Vilemyr Inn in Ivarstead. Elise sat across from her, pushing her chair all the way back into the corner and keeping the hood of her cloak up. At every noise she jumped and her eyes darted around. Kirsikka had noticed that she had been getting more and more nervous as they got closer to the mountain and had just assumed it was because Elise was anxious about going to see the Greybeards. Now though she was not so sure.

The innkeeper approached them and Kirsikka smiled at him. "Welcome to Vilemyr Inn!" he said cheerfully. "Can I get you anything?"

"A couple bottles of ale and whatever you have for dinner," Kirsikka responded. "Elise, are you hungry?" The Imperial glanced over to find the Listener staring at the innkeeper with wide eyes.

He turned to look at the Bosmer woman and gasped, leaning closer to peer at her. Elise shrank into the shadows, tugging uselessly at her hood. "By the Divines!" he said, slapping the table and causing both women to jump. "Elisabelle! I have not seen you around here for years. What brings you back to Ivarstead?"

Elise reluctantly pushed her hood back and smiled weakly at the man. "Hello Wilhelm," she murmured. "How have you been?"

Wilhelm grabbed a nearby chair and pulled it up, apparently settling down for a long talk. Kirsikka gave Elise a confused look, but the Elf ignored it. "Good, things have been good. Well, as good as usual. How have you been?"

"Oh, fine," she said. "We are actually on our way to High Hrothgar," she added, almost reluctantly.

"High Hrothgar? Why are you going there?" he inquired.

"Message for the Greybeards," she answered.

He nodded as if he expected that answer. "And where have you been all these years? You left so suddenly we all wondered what happened and then your father. Well."

She shrugged absently and looked away from him. "I was traveling. Meeting new people. Learning new things."

"Been back in Skyrim long?" he asked, settling back into the chair. Elise threw Kirsikka a helpless stare and Kirsikka shook her head subtly. She was not helping the Listener get out of this, not when she was picking up so many juicy details.

"Long enough," Elise answered. "Though I will admit I have not been keeping up on all the politics." Kirsikka frowned, her mind dredging up the first time she and Elise had met. The woman had been on her way to join the Stormcloaks. Why lie about it now?

A strange look crossed Wilhelm's face and he leaned forward eagerly. "You know nothing of what Ulfric has been up to?" he inquired.

"No," she stated and her eyes darted up to his. "Should I?"

"By Talos, Elisabelle! He has started a Civil War! He Shouted King Torygg to pieces and demanded the Empire and Thalmor vacate Skyrim," he told her. "Have you been living under a rock?" Kirsikka bit back the laugh that wanted to escape since their new sanctuary was indeed under several feet of rock. Both of her tablemates ignored her.

"Essentially yes. After the way things ended, well, I do my best to avoid him and any talk of him," Elise stated. She paused for a few moments and then leaned forward, reaching out as if to grab Wilhelm's hand and then stopping. "Wilhelm, my father?"

"Under the tree out behind the inn," he answered softly, closing the distance between her hand and his and squeezing it. "I saw to it for you. Thought you might be back one day and well, here you are."

"Thank you, Wilhelm," she murmured.

He gave her a kind, almost fatherly smile. "It was no problem," he answered. "You and your friend are welcome to stay as long as you need. Half price. I shall send over your order."

"Thank you again," she replied. "Oh, and Wilhelm, please do not tell anybody I am here. There are certain people who just do not need to know I am back."

He nodded and rose and headed off to the bar and Kirsikka stared at Elise. The Bosmer looked over at her blonde friend and had the grace to look embarrassed. "So I am from Ivarstead," she said.

Kirsikka snorted and leaned forward. "Yeah, I figured that out, _Elisabelle_. When were you going to tell us?"

Elise shrugged and picked at the table. "Never. I left years ago and had not planned on returning. If it were not for the whole Dragonborn business I would never have had cause to come here. It is nice that he is letting you stay as long as you need to. I do not know how long I will be up the mountain."

"Oh no, I am going with you," Kirsikka said, leaning forward. "I am going to make sure you get up there, _Elisabelle_."

"Stop it," Elise snapped. "Elisabelle is dead. She died several years ago. As for the mountain, I will go, I swear it. Besides if I remember correctly, nobody is allowed inside but those who have been invited by the Greybeards. That means I can go in, but not you. You had better stay here if you do not want to freeze on the mountain."

Kirsikka huffed and crossed her arms. "Fine. But if you are not back in three days I will come up and murder anybody who stands in my way to get to you."

Elise smiled. "Agreed."


	7. Chapter 7

The door to the Sanctuary slammed with a resounding boom and Cicero looked up from where he was preparing oils for Mother. Noisy nuisances! He left the ingredients lying on the table knowing that Babette and Nazir would leave them alone and hurried towards the entrance.

"You were up there for not even a day!" Kirsikka's voice echoed through the halls. "How could you have learned anything?" she complained.

"I was up there long enough to know that I do not want or need to be up there," the Listener responded. She sounded just as angry as she had been when she had awoken to find out that Nazir and Babette were completing her contract and she was being dragged off to a mountain.

"Excuse me if I do not believe you," Kirsikka snapped.

Cicero arrived in the foyer at the same time as Babette and Nazir. Kirsikka was glaring at Elise but the Bosmer was looking away, in the direction of the Night Mother. Several emotions flitted across her face and she finally turned back to the group. She gave a weak smile to Babette and Nazir. "Mother is pleased with your work. You fulfilled the contract and eliminated the one who tried to hurt our Family. She also said something about the extra blood?"

Babette smirked. "The Emperor requested we do away with whoever had taken the contract out on him. I was only too happy to oblige."

Elise nodded in understanding and then glanced at Cicero. "Keeper," she said. He bounced forward and took her hands in his, squeezing them. "Mother is very happy with you, Cicero," she said with a grin and then it dropped to a frown.

"What is the matter Listener, Savior of Cicero, Mother, and the Family?" he asked, feeling a lump like ice form in his gut.

"Mother thinks I need a break. Not from Listening, but from collecting souls for the Dread Father," she answered. She inhaled slowly and then shook her head, a look of determination coming over her face. "Nazir, you got the payment from Motierre before you two killed him, right?"

"Sure did. We have more than enough to outfit the new sanctuary," he answered.

She nodded and squeezed Cicero's hands. "Nazir, in a few moments I will meet with Mother and give you the new list of contracts. They can be spread out between you, Babette, Kirsikka, and Cicero. I also want you to start recruiting. Now that you have taken care of the Emperor, I am sure we will be receiving more contracts than the four of you can handle."

She released Cicero and walked over to Babette, hugging the vampire. "Babette, could you please work on setting up the new greenhouse and alchemy lab. We shall need items for poisons and Cicero's oils."

"Of course, Listener," Babette responded.

"Kirsikka, you help out in any way they need you to and Cicero, you continue tending to Mother," Elise finished.

"And what will the Listener be doing?" Cicero asked softly, almost afraid of the answer.

"I am going to go meet with Mallory in Riften to get what we need to furnish this place. I will be back every week or so to talk to Mother and get new contracts," she answered.

"And what will you do in the meantime?" Kirsikka asked, her arms crossed as she glared at the Listener.

"There is an associate of Mallory's who said he has a business deal for me. I think I may take him up on the offer," Elise answered and then hugged the Imperial woman. "Do not worry, I will still be around. I just need to be away from the killing to help clear my head. That should help with the dragons."

Kirsikka grumbled and returned the embrace. "Fine, but you had better keep in touch," she stated.

"I will," Elise promised. The other assassins filtered out of the room until Cicero was alone with the Listener. "Cicero?" she asked quietly.

He crossed his arms and turned away from her, refusing to acknowledge her or the pain that was cutting through his abdomen. Everybody always left poor Cicero at the end. Abandoned, abused. Her fingers brushed his shoulder lightly and he flinched. "Cicero, it was not my idea," she whispered. "Mother has ordered it. She says that until I can control myself I should not be going on contracts. I could end up doing something that would harm the Family."

She placed her hand on his shoulder and turned him around. "You know it is for the best, Cicero," she murmured.

His face crumbled and he wrapped her in a tight hug. "Cicero will miss Elise!" he declared.

"I will miss you too, Cicero," she said. "But I will be back and it is not forever. I just need to get some things sorted. Okay?"

He sighed deeply. "Does the Listener promise?"

"Of course," she replied. She squeezed him one last time and then headed towards the room that Mother was in. "Oh, and Cicero," she glanced over her shoulder with a smirk. "If you get too lonely, I am sure Kirsikka will offer to keep you company." She winked and disappeared, leaving a blushing Cicero in her wake.


End file.
